Seed Sales Hint at Record Hectarage

Zimbabwean seed sales suggest a record tobacco hectarage in the 2023-2024 growing season, reports The Herald.

Statistics released by the Tobacco Research Board (TRB) reveal that, by August 8, farmers had procured 847.21 kg of tobacco seed with potential to cover 169,442 ha.

The largest tobacco hectarage to date was recorded in 2019 when growers planted 146,000 ha. The final crop, livestock and fisheries assessment report shows that last year 131,656 ha were put under tobacco.

Zimbabwean tobacco growers had sold 294 million kg of tobacco worth $891 million by day 100 of the ongoing 2023 marketing season.

This is a 44 percent increase in volume and 43 percent rise in value compared to the same period last year.

The average yield this season has risen to over 2 tons per hectare from 1.7 tons per hectare the previous season.

As part of its Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, Zimbabwe seeks to create a $5 billion tobacco industry by 2025 through localization of tobacco funding, increased production and productivity, value addition and beneficiation.